• Question: why do you get a wrinkly face when you are old?

    Asked by lafonda to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      The fibres in your skin (collagen and the stretchy elastins) tend to degrade a bit and don’t pull it as tight. Also the muscles and fibres holding the skin and underlying fat in place become weaker, making everything sag down a bit.

      As eyesight gets worse, you have to squint more too, which makes your face look more wrinkly.

      Some people have different patterns of wrinkles on their faces, which makes me think they have spent most of their lives looking sad, happy or surprised.

    • Photo: Philippa Bird

      Philippa Bird answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      What Tom said.

    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Yup.

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